Thomas Adams '12 Recruiting Profile

     I started as a soccer player/distance runner running one mile races as a kid. As a freshman, I competed in the long jump, high jump and the 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdle races. MId season the school bought a pole and I watched some "youtube" videos and learned some basics about pole vaulting finishing the season with a best of 10 feet. without a pit to practice in. I attended my first pole vault camp that summer. Sophomore year, I worked on my hurdling and pole vaulting as the school purchased a new pole vault pit. I attended some PV clinics over the winter and finished the spring season with a best of 11'6". I attended a PV camp and a track camp after my sophomore year. My junior year I improved my high jump and ran the hurdles and competed in the high jump and pole vault for my team. I led my team in scoring, set the school record in the pole vault and won the New Englands with a seasonal best of 13'8". This summer I attended the M-F PV camp for the third summer, competed through July and worked at two one week track camps.
     This year, I stepped up to help out my teammates, many who were very inexperienced track athletes. I realized that I could share my knowledge of drills from all of my track camps with my teammates and I also coached the new vaulters with one of my teammates clearing 11 feet. I was proud of what I was able to help my teammates accomplish and I am excited that one of the guys will be attending the M-F PV camp with me this summer. I am also excited to have been elected as a team captain for my senior year.
     Personally, my goal for this summer is to work on some new poles. I have been limited with very few poles to work with, but I was proud to have cleared 13'8" on a 13'3" pole, vaulting more than a foot above my handhold. 
     I am looking at both big and small schools. I feel that I can pole vault at a D1, D2 or D3 school and I could compete in the decathlon at a D2 or D3 school also. I have signed up for an SAT review course to improve my scores and make myself more attractive to the more competitive academic colleges and universities. I wish to compete at the highest possible level since my desire is to pole vault 15-16 feet as a senior and 17 feet in college.
    I will be applying for financial aid, and my dad says that I will be eligible to receive "need based aid".